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Hi Again Vickie and All, I forgot to add that academic due process was followed and has been found to have been correctly followed by the university concerned. Who cares? I do. Very much, and I have done more than talk about it. I have put myself on the line for my beliefs. Just as hundreds of other trans-people and trans-friendly people do every day. Cheers Rhian Rhian Cope BSc BVSc PhD Assistant Professor Morphology University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign 2001 S Lincoln Ave Urbana, Il 61802, USA Ph: 1-217-244-1583 Fax: 1-217-244-1652 Email: [log in to unmask] Fri Aug 18 09:43:42 2000, "Rhian Cope" <[log in to unmask]> wrote: >Hi Vickie and All, > > >I agree with your sentiments whole heartedly, however, "gently gently catch em monkey......." > >We are currently waiting for the final report from the university concerned, although we have been >reassured verbally by the investigating officers involved and the university provost's office that >they have found no merit in any of the student's claims what so ever. > >The student has been excluded from her course of training on academic performance grounds. > >The statues of the university concerned require the university to provide full legal defense of an >academic staff member who is subject to civil action in the course of their duties. This would >cover the trans staff member's legal costs should the student concerned decide to take legal >action. > This is a considerable benefit to the trans staff member concerned as she would not be financially >able to go it alone. > >Following the her successful defense in relation to these issues, the trans staff member has been >invited to become part of the president of the university's standing committee on woman's issues. >This is somewhat of a victory and hopefully will allow for some championing of trans issues at the >university concerned. > >The trans-staff member is not the only trans person (both staff and student) at the university >concerned. > >Cheers to all > >Rhian > >Rhian Cope BSc BVSc PhD >Assistant Professor Morphology >University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign >2001 S Lincoln Ave >Urbana, Il 61802, USA > >Ph: 1-217-244-1583 >Fax: 1-217-244-1652 > >Email: [log in to unmask] Fri Aug 18 00:11:17 2000, ><[log in to unmask]> wrote: >>In a message dated 08/17/2000 10:55:14 AM Eastern Daylight Time, >>[log in to unmask] writes: >> >>> Yes, I agree. Unfortunately, the procedure at the university concerned >>> outlaws, under threat of >>> dismissal, any action against any party involved in this type of dispute >>> that could be viewed as >>> retaliatory. A law suit would be judged to be a retaliatory action and a >>> violation of the >>> university rules. >> >>And in return for this abrogation of minimal civil and legal protections even >>in the face of extreme harrassment, what alternative protection does the >>university's procedure provide for those who are being harrassed in this way, >>duly subject to this death by a thousand cuts? A string of "not guilty" >>judgements like beads on a string stretching over the horizon? >> >>1) Unlawful contracts are not enforceable. Everyone is responsible for >>injury deliberately done others, including that child of adult age playing >>the vindictive game you describe, who should not be protected past a point >>which seems to have been passed. If the administration won't end the farce >>with at least a severe reprimand, I should imagine it could itself become a >>party to an instructor's lawsuit if it attempted dismissal because an attempt >>to hold a student responsible for his or her own actions "could be viewed as" >>(not "was found to be") retaliatory. 2) the educational institution's >>obligation to "educate" a marginal student includes the obligation to teach >>him or her not to use protective procedures vindictively. What is it doing >>in this regard? That the instructor in question *feels* harrassed and >>unprotected and has no recourse signifies its own abrogation of >>responsibility, I should think. >> >>In my institution, there would be a single fact finding examination, and if >>the student persisted after a finding that there was no merit in the charge, >>there would be confidential review of only those facts by higher authority to >>assure that due process was followed and the conclusion seemingly justified. >>The student would then be informed to accept the judgement or leave. >>Administrations exist to enable the faculty to do what they are asked to do >>(teach, determine curricula and academic policies, research, and thereby >>advance their disciplines) undistracted by the routine oddities always >>encountered among students. Shouldn't they be doing their jobs? See David >>Mamet's play "Oleanna" for a paradigmatic case. >> >>I suspect that whatever the university thinks, the student *like the faculty >>member* is free to raise the issues yet again in civil proceedings, where if >>the facts are as represented, especially if "academic due process" was >>followed, it would be eventually dismissed though after further punitive >>exposure of the faculty member. This because a grade (like a job) can be >>defined as an earned property right, and an unjust grade deprivation of that >>property. In such a suit the university would probably be a party with the >>instructor. >> >>Has the student's behavior become a campus issue, with choosing up of sides >>and letters to the student newspaper, etc? Now THAT would be educational. >>Does the student have peer support or peer condemnation in the Great Court of >>Public Opinion where most such issues are in fact settled? What says the >>"Women's Caucus" (or whatever the equivalent feminist organization) about all >>this? Has the Chronicle of Higher Education found it yet? Or the AAUP? >>Does anyone care? >> >>Love, >>Vickie >> > > %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%